The Feminine in Hindu
Dharma
A Tribute to Hindu Women
1
More beautiful than Aishwarya….
• CBS 60 minutes in Jan ’05 features
Ash, ‘the most beautiful woman in
the world’ according to Julia Roberts
• Ash surprises the interviewer and
takes him to meet someone more
beautiful, more glamorous than her!
She takes him to a Ganesh Mandir,
and prays. She starts each day with a
prayer go Shri Ganesh
• Surrounded by Bollywood glitter,
why did Aishwarya still keep the
flame of Dharma alive?
• What did Hindu Dharma offer to her?
• What is the status of women in Hindu
Dharma?
2
Women and the Divine Word (Vedas)
• Hindus have four revealed texts: Rigveda,
Samaveda, Atharvaveda, Yajurveda
• Of the 407 Sages of Rigveda, 21 are women.
Many significant hymns are by women.
• Recitation of Atharvaveda starts with
invocation to Devi: “shanno devirbhishtiye…”.
Book XIV of this Veda and sections in other
books also attributed to Women Sages
(‘Rishikā’)
• Recitation of Samaveda often accompanied by
playing of instruments by women.
• Several mantras from Yajurveda (e.g. Sukla
YV 5.17) specifically recited by women.
CONCLUSION: The belief that women cannot
study the Vedas is false, and later concoction.
3
Women as Vedic Deities (Devis)





Gayatri, the Mother of Vedas (Atharva Veda
19.71.1)
Both male and female deities are extolled in the
hymns ('Apri Suktas') of all revealed texts of
Hindus and in the family prayers of all the 10
lineages of Vedic Sages.
Devis such as Ila, Bharati, Usha are said to be
‘sweetly smiling, shining ones, splendid and
beautiful, possessors of wisdom, teachers of
mankind, fulfiller of boons, foremost amongst
those to whom worship is offered, mother of
Devas.’ Always worshipped with male Devas.
Supreme Being referred to in NEUTER gender
(e.g., Ekam Sat vipra, Rigveda 1.164.46, has
Ekam and Sat in neuter)  God is NOT a male
God also referred to as irreproachable wife of
the worshipper (husband) in Rigveda 1.73.3
4
Veda as a Woman
• Divine Word (‘Vac’) is considered a Devi.
In later Hinduism, Sarasvati is the patron
deity of Vedas, music, arts and all
learning. Vac Sukta (Rigveda 10.125)
dealing with revelation of Vedas is
attributed to Rishika Vagambhrina
• Vedic texts often referred to in feminine.
E.g., Shrimati Rigveda Samhita
• Sarasvati River, the earthly manifestation
of Devi Sarasvati gave rise to VedicHarappan culture.
• The Gayatri Mantra, the holiest prayer of
Hindus in the Vedas, is often represented
symbolically as a Devi in classical
Hinduism.
5
I. Shaakta: Shakti, the Powerful Devi,
Killer of Mahishaasura
6
I. Shaakta:
Durga, the Beautiful Divine Mother
7
II. Shaiva: Ardhanaariishvara
God as Half-Woman
 In Shaiva tradition, God often
represented as a half woman
 In Vaishnava tradition, Vishnu often
incarnates as a woman to preserve
and protect Dharma (Mohini avatar)
 When God is worshipped as ‘parent’,
‘mother’ takes precedence over
‘father’ aspect.
 Both Women and Men are
manifestations of God (contrast:
According to the Abrahamic faiths,
man was created in the image of
God, and women from that man’s
extra rib!)
8
II. Shaiva Parvati as an equal of Shiva
9
III. VaishnavaShriman Narayana, Vishnu who dwells with Shri (Lakshmi)
"Sage Parashar said:
O Maitreya! Always a companion of Vishnu
and the Mother of this Universe, Devi
Lakshmi is eternal. Vishnu is omnipresent,
so is She. If She is speech, Vishnu is the
object of description. Vishnu is the Law,
and She is the Policy. Lord Vishnu is
knowledge, she is intelligence. He is
Dharma, She is good karma. If Vishnu is
the Creator, She is the Creation (that abides
eternally with Him). He is the mountain,
She is Earth. He is the virtue of
contentment, She is the all satisfying. If
Lord Vishnu is desire, She is the object of
desire. He is the sacred Vedic ritual, she is
the priestly fee..."
(Vishnu Purana 1.8.17-20ab)
10
III. Avataras of Shri -Vishnu
1. Radha-Krishna or Rukmini-Krishna
• Shri Krishna worshipped
together with Radha or
with Rukmini
• In some Vaishnava sects,
Radha considered more
important than Krishna
• Independent Hindu
spiritual texts with names
such as ‘Sitopanishad’,
‘Radhopanishad’ and so
on exist, which extol the
greatness of the Devis in
the divine pairs.
11
III. Avataras of Shri-Vishnu
2. Sita-Rama
• Sita-ji, a Nepalese princess, is
considered one of five ‘Satis’
(virtuous women)
• When God is worshipped as
‘Divine Couple’ by Hindus,
the name of the feminine
typically precedes that of
masculine. E.g., ‘Sita-Ram’,
‘Radhe-Shyam’, ‘UmaMahesh’ or ‘Shri Vishnu’
• Numerous shrines and sacred
sites named after Sita (Sitapur,
Sitamarhi, Sita ki Rasoi etc.)
12
Conclusion: Feminine Theology A Gift of Hindus to the World
 Hinduism is the ONLY major religion that worships God also as
a woman. All other major faiths see God as a ‘Fatherly’ figure
only.
 Even in Male oriented traditions, Devi plays an important role.
 In Hindu Dharma, Wisdom/Knowledge, Prosperity, Power etc.,
represented symbolically by feminine Hindu deities
 It is not surprising that words denoting the Feminine Power of
God, such as Shakti, Kali and so on have become a part of the
New Age vocabulary because there is a deficiency of such terms
in other organized religions. There is even a perfume launched by
the name ‘Kali’ in the west
CONCLUSION: A woman can be a good Hindu and also a
feminist at the same time.
13
The Real Bread Giver
Ancient Hindu Roots of
Feminine Ecology and Environmentalism
 Entire Universe is ‘alive’, pervaded by
Supreme Being : Body of God
 Earth and Nature are called ‘Mother
Earth’ and ‘Prakriti’ (feminine) in Hindu
philosophy
 Ma Ganga: Rivers are manifestations of
feminine deities
 Grains are manifestations of Devi
Annapuurnaa
 Trees and Forests are abode of feminine
deities: Sacred groves, sacred trees,
sacred plants
 Mother Cow: symbol of motherly love,
sacred animal
14
The Notion of ‘Motherland’
 One’s country is always termed as
‘Motherland’, never as Fatherland
in recognition of the fact that the
land we live in nurtures us lovingly
as our own mother. Indians often
worship India as ‘Bharatmata’.
 “Janani
janmabhumishcha,
svargaadapi gariiyasi” (Sri Rama
said that one’s mother and
motherland are superior to Heaven)
 Iconic representation of Bharat
Mata
15
There are more than 35
synonyms for woman in
Sanskrit.
Each synonym explains
the role she has play in the
society around her.
Ex: Stree,Vanitaa,
Pradeepadarshini,
Kaantaa, Soubhaagyaa.
16
Philanthropist Hindu Ladies –
Rani Rashmoni
Rani Rashmoni Devi (1793-1861) was the widow of
a rich landowner (Zamindar) and managed his
estate very efficiently after his death. Once when
the Rani was on her way to a pilgrimage to
Varanasi, Goddess Kali appeared to her in a
dream and asked the Rani to return to Kolkata
and construct a temple in that town. Thus was
built the famous Dakshineshvar temple (later
associated
with
Saint
Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa). She also repaired the sacred
steps (‘ghats’) on the banks of the Bhagarathi
river (distributary of Ganga flowing past
Kolkata) and made handsome endowments to
the Hindu College (now called The Presidency
College) and the Imperial Library (now called
The National Library) in Kolkata. She also had
a road constructed from the Subarnarekha river
(that flows past the town of Jamshedpur) to the
Hindu pilgrim center of Puri for the welfare of
pilgrims.
17
Women as Warriors, Warrior Queens
When the ruler Dalpat Rai of Gondwana died
in 1548, Rani Durgavati became the regent
Queen on behalf of her infant son Bir
Narayan and ruled her kingdom ably for 16
years. The Moghul Emperor Akbar invaded
her kingdom in 1564. She fought bravely
and when defeat was imminent, she chose
to commit suicide by plunging a dagger
into herself. She may have lost her life in
the battlefield but Akbar could not
subjugate her loyal subjects completely.
OTHER Examples: Hindu Queen Kota Rani
of Kashmir pushed back Tartar invaders.
Queen Rudramba of Andhra Pradesh
punished revolts and evil feudal lords.
18
Rani Chenamma of Kittur
Rani Chennamma of Kittur (1778-1829)
received training in horse riding,
sword fighting and archery in her
young age. She was married to Raja
Mullasarja of Kittur, a princely state
in Belgaum in Karnataka. Her
husband died in 1816. Her only son
died in 1824. Chennamma adopted
Shivalingappa as her son and made
him heir to the throne. The British did
not accept this and ordered the
expulsion of Shivalingappa. The Rani
defied the order. A great battle
ensued. The Rani fought the British
with great courage and skill. She
could not, however, hold out for long.
She was taken captive and lodged in
Bailhongal Fort where she died in
19
early 1829.
Rani Avantibai
Rani Avantibai : When Vikramaditya
Singh, the ruler of Ramgarh State died
leaving behind his wife Avantibai and no
heir to the throne, the British put the
state under court administration.
Avantibai vowed to win back her land
from the British. She raised an army of
four thousand men and led it herself
against the British in 1857. A fierce
battle ensured and Avantibai fought most
valiantly but could not hold out for long
against the superior strength of the
British army. When her defeat become
imminent she killed herself with her own
sword and became a martyr in March
1858.
20
Preferring Death to Dishonor
 To avoid capture and abuse by
Muslim invaders, Hindu women
committed Jauhar. E.g. Rani
Padmini of Chittor lead 700
women into fire pit to escape the
lust of Allauddin Khilji
 Women were soldiers and spies in
Vedic, Mauryan and Sikh armies
 Used their charms to kill invaders
and temple breakers
 Women donated jewelery and
money to fund national defense.
 Unlike other religions, Hindu
warfare forbade capturing and
21
abusing enemy women
Women and Hindu Sprituality
 Hindus have been blessed with a continuous, unbroken chain
of women Saints , Yoginis, Nuns (Saadhvi), Priestesses
(panditaa), Ascetics (Bhikshuni) and Seers (Rishika) who
roam all over the world to this day to preach the eternal
message of our Dharma.
 Numerous women Hindu priests and Gurus serve the laity in
the United States as well, and preside over temple
management, monasteries and other Hindu
institutions.Buddhism and Jainism, two offshoots of Hindu
Dharma, also have had prominent orders of nuns.
 Hindu texts are unanimous in declaring that God does not
differentiate between men and women. In the Hindu
philosophy of Bhakti, or devotion to God, the cowherd
women (gopi-s) who resided in the region of Braj in northern
India are held as exemplars for all mankind.
 In traditional enumerations of pious people who were saved
by the liberating power of God, both men and women are
listed without prejudice.
22
Women in Hindu spiritual texts
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the longest text of
Hindu spirituality, describes the proceedings of a
marvelous spiritual conference in which the great
Sage Yajnavalkya was locked in a debate with
several Sages on the other side. Suddenly, a
woman sage named Gargi Vachnavi rises and
says that if Sage Yajnavalkya can answer her
questions, all the other Sages will accept his
doctrines . It is noteworthy that all the Sages
present there accept her as their spiritual leader
and allow her to represent them on their behalf.
In the same text, Maitreyi, the wife of
Yajnavalkya, motivates him to deliver a
memorable sermon on the nature of God and
soul. Modern India has honored these illustrious
women by founding colleges bearing their names.
In a long spiritual lineage given in this text, all
the teachers and students are listed as sons of
their mothers.
 Yajnavalkya with Gargi and Maitreyi
In Kena Upanishad, spiritual wisdom appears to
Indra as ‘Uma’ Brahmavidya, a woman. 23
Andal - One of the 12 Alvar Saints
The Lady who would marry none but Lord Vishnu
Andal was the adopted daughter of
Vishnuchitta, who gathered flowers for
a Vishnu temple in Tamil Nadu. Once,
he found her wearing the flowers that he
had offered to Bhagawan and was angry.
But Andal said that she was married to
Lord Vishnu, and the Lord Himself
appeared to Vishnuchitta in a dream to
confirm this. Andal wrote very soulstirring songs of devotion (called
Tiruppavai) which are sung during the
month of Margali (Dec-Jan) in several
parts of India. Tiruppavai has been
translated into several languages and
included in the Shri Vaishnava tradition
24
liturgy.
Meerabai
the Princess who wedded Lord Krishna
Meerabai (16th century) was a Rajput
Princess of Mewar who decided in her
childhood that her husband was Lord
Krishna. She was married to a Rajput
prince, but forsaking all formal ties, she
traveled between various religious centers
associated with Lord Krishna. Her Hindi
bhajans (devotional songs) in praise of
Rama and Krishna are very popular even
today. Meerabai’s soul merged with that of
Lord Krishna in Dwaraka when she was
67 years old. Andal-Goda’s songs are
recited daily in Shri Vaishnava Hindu
liturgy in temples as well as in homes, in
India as well as outside India. Her icon is
frequently placed alongside that of Lord
Vishnu and Devi Lakshmi in temples.
25
More examples of Hindu Women Saints
Lalleshvari of Kashmir (14th cent.)
Akka Mahadevi of Karnataka (12th cent.)
Kaarikkaal Ammaiyaar of Tamil Nadu (before 600
CE)
Muktabai of Maharashtra (13th cent.)
Janabai of Maharashtra (13-14th cent.)
 Meera, Akka Mahadevi, Lalleshvari, Andal and other
saintly women of medieval India are considered some of
the foremost Hindu Sages. Their writings are treated as
scripture, and chanted with great regard to this day.
26
Shree Shree Ma Anandamoyi
In more recent times, Shree Shree Ma
Anandamoyi (1896-1982), born in Khera
in what is now Bangladesh , was a Hindu
woman mystic whose own husband
became her devotee, and who was held
in great reverence even by Mahatma
Gandhi. She traveled far and wide,
preaching compassion and spirituality,
and was instrumental in the setting up of
many hospitals and other charitable
institutions.
Her Ashram in Bangladesh was recently
destroyed by Islamists.
27
Women Saints: Ammachi
www.ammachi.org
• Mata Amritanandamayi, known as
the ‘Hugging Saint’ – spreads
divine love by embracing her
millions of devotees and leaving a
profound positive impact on them.
• Born in a poor Harijan Hindu
family of Kerala, she spreads the
doctrine of Bhakti
• Donated Rs 1 billion for Tsunami
2004 relief, offered to adopt all
children orphaned in Kerala
• Opened numerous charitable
hospitals, free housing for poor,
schools
28
Women Saints: Mata Nirmala Devi
• Born to a Christian priest
in India, she converted to
Hindu Dharma
• Discovers ‘Sahaja Yoga’,
which can be practiced
by all.
• Travels tirelessly to
preach Sahaja Yoga to
people all nationalities
and religions
29
Foreign Disciple of a Hindu Saint
Sister Nivedita
Sister Nivedita (Margaret Noble) born in
1867 in Northern Ireland, met Swami
Vivekananda in London in 1895 and
became his disciple. She came to India in
1898. In India she engaged herself in
running a school for girls and young
women. After Swamiji's death she
involved herself actively in the Indian
Freedom Movement. She wrote several
books that present different aspects of
Hinduism and Buddhism in a very lucid
manner for the lay readership. She died in
1911.
30
Mother Mira Aditi
A foreign disciple who became a Hindu Saint
‘The Mother’, was the spiritual
companion or the first disciple of Shri
Aurobindo, one of the most influential
Hindu Sage of our times. She had
visions about him even before she met
him and became Self-realized/Godrealized following the Integral Yoga he
was developing/teaching). Originally
from France, she followed him to India,
where she spent the rest of her life
providing spiritual leadership to Shri
Aurobindo’s disciples.
31
Ma Sharada
The Widow of a Saint becomes a Saint
Sharada Devi (b. 1853), the wife of
Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa,
a Hindu Saint who lived in the
19th century. After Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa passed away in
1886, she continued to guide her
husband’s followers till her own
death in 1920. Portraits of the
two are worshipped together by
followers of this Hindu saint
even today.
32
Feminine SpiritualityConclusions
• It would be a fair statement to make that of all the
organized global religions in the world today,
women perhaps have the most visible and
prominent presence in Hindu Dharma.
• Feminine spirituality is not something that needs
to be grafted onto Hindu Dharma. It has always
been a part of the core of our faith.
33
Hindu Women as Freedom Fighters
• Sarojini Naidu, the
‘Nightingale of India’
• Broke social taboos, had an
intercaste marriage
• Gifted poetess and author,
wrote a 4000 line Persian play
when she was 14 yrs
• Injected humor in India’s
freedom movement (called
Gandhiji a ‘mickey mouse’ and
Nehru a ‘handsome prince’)
• Many other Hindu women
fought for freedom, eg. Sucheta
Kriplani, Kasturba Gandhi
34
Hindu Women in Social Roles
Why does this woman look
unhappy?
Ans: Hinduism has a mixed
record when we deal with the
social status of women. It is
extremely important to make
this admission without any
reservations, because we
cannot solve problems unless
we recognize them.
35
Why does tradition sometimes fail to
do justice to women?
In the worldview of classical Hindu texts, the
wife was not a producer of wealth. Her
sphere of activity was restricted to her home,
and her family members. She did all the
household chores, managed her husband’s
wealth, maintained her household
possessions, brought up children, cooked
food for the family, served her husband and
took a leading role in fulfilling several
domestic ritual observances. This was true
for all traditional societies, and things are
changing very fast in Hindu societies today
with more and more women exploring
opportunities for self-fulfillment outside their
homes with the support of their husbands and
other family members. In fact, it was never
entirely true that women do not produce
wealth. Since times immemorial, Hindu
women have worked in the fields, as artisans
and so on.
36
• Vandaneeya Lakshmi bai
kelkar (1905 – 1978).
• Founder of Rashtra
Sevika Samiti: 1936.
• Put forth 3 ideals for
women:
• Maatrutva ,Kartrutva &
Netrutva.
37
Matrutva : Ideal Mother-Jija bai.
• In Mahabharata, Kunti inspired
Pandavas to fight for their rights.
She is one of the five
‘panchakanyas’
• Jijabai inspired Shivaji to defeat
Islamist ruler Aurangzeb and
liberate our land from oppression
• Many grateful Hindu scholars
named their works after their wives
(e.g, Vedanta text Bhamati) or
daughters (e.g., Math text Lilavati)
• Women made saints out men, e.g.,
Ratnavali inspired Tulsidas to
become a great saint
38
Kartrutva : Achiever
Ahalyabai Holkar
Queen Ahalyabai Holkar (1725-1795) of
the princely state of Indore in central
India is often held as an example of an
ideal Hindu sovereign. She inherited
her kingdom from her father in law
since her husband and her son were
already dead. Ahalyabai ruled her
kingdom
with
great
ability,
benevolence and compassion for 30
years. Numerous trusts and institutions
founded in her memory by both her
descendants as well as by others attest
to her exalted status in the Indian
society.
39
Netrutva: Rani Lakshmibai
Ideal Leader
• The legendary Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
fought bravely against British invaders in
1857 and died on the battlefield. She is
considered the Joan of Arc of India and is
glorified in several Hindi ballads and
poems. The words ‘Khoob ladi mardaani,
woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi’ from a poem
in her honor written by the poetess
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan are known to
every school-going student in the Hindi
speaking areas of northern India.
40
Can women
in this era
make a
Difference ?
41
Panditaa:
Hindu women as priests
 A panditaa performing wedding
ceremony
 Social reformers such as Dayanand
Saraswati (1824-1883) championed the
rights of women to study Vedas and
perform rituals like male priests. His
followers like Lala Devraj started Vedic
schools for women)
 Upasani Baba in Ahmadnagar and Udyan
Mangala Karyalaya in Pune train women
pandits and Vedic scholars. In recent
years, more women than men have
become Hindu priests in Pune.
 There are now 1000s of Hindu women
priests all over the world and are in great
demand because they are considered
more sincere.
42
Vidushi:
Women scholars of Hindu Dharma
•
Dozens of women Sages (Rishikas) in Vedas and
Upanishads. Saulabha Shakha of Rigveda named after
Rishika Sulabhaa
• Scholars: Bhikshuni Sulabha in Mahabharata, Women
grammarians/teachers mentioned in Ashtadhyayi of
Panini, and Mahabhashya of Patanjali. Atreyi learned
Vedas and Vedanta from Valmiki.
• Judges: Ubhaya Bharati judged the winner in a debate
between Adi Shankaracharya and Mandana Mishra (her
own husband).
• Upaadhyaaya and Acharyaa: Temples such as Lingaraj
(Orissa) show women teachers with both male and female
students.
• Poetesses: Gangadevi (14th cent) wrote the Sanskrit epic
‘Madhuravijayam’. Many women poetesses in Tamil
Sangam literature.
 Dr Vasudha Narayanan (Univ of Fl), first non-Judeo
Christian President of American Academy of Religion is a
43
devout Hindu
Hindu Women as Artistes-1
Hindu music and dance has always
had a very strong connection with
women. Devi Sarasvati is the patron
deity of all art, music, literature,
drama and dance and her blessings
are invoked whenever artists
commence their work or
performance. Most of the classical
dance forms of Hindus such as
Balinese (in Indonesia), Kuchipudi,
Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kathak and
Garba are dominated by women
performers today.
44
 Odissi Dancer
Hindu Women as Artistes -2
Even in dance forms where women do not
participate, their status is quite exalted.
For instance, Kathakali dance of Kerala
is traditionally performed by men who
wear masks of different colors to
denote different categories of persons.
Interestingly, the masks for women as
well as for all divine characters (devas)
are painted white in order to indicate
their holy, pure and exalted status.
Many traditional folk dance forms such
as Pandavani of Chhattisgarh are being
promoted by women such as Teejanbai.
Balinese dancer in Indonesia 
45
Melody Queen, Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar, a devoted Hindu lady, is
considered one of the foremost women
singers in Indian film industry. She is
credited with singing hundreds of
devotional Hindu songs in several
Indian and non-Indian languages. She
spends a considerable portion of her
income on charitable causes such as
repairs of temples and is presently
engaged in the construction of a
hospital in the memory of her father in
the city of Pune.
46
M S Subbulakshmi
Goddess’ own voice
M S Subhalakshmi is likewise the greatest singer of
the classical Hindu Carnatic Music style. For her
soul stirring renderings of devotional songs from
Hindu tradition, she has been honored by
numerous prominent religious leaders. She
played the role of Saint Meerabai in a celebrated
Hindi movie on the life of the saint. A ‘low-caste’
Hindu, she has instituted scholarships for poor
Brahmin boys engaged in the oral preservation of
Vedic texts in southern India. Performed
hundreds of charity concerts for Hindu charitable
schools and hospitals.
She has sung at the UNO General Assembly.
‘M.S.’ (as she was popularly known), passed away
in December 2004, but her voice lives on……
47
Concluding Thoughts
Yes! women can make a difference if they realize their
responsibility in the society working in the lines of
Maatrutva, Kartrutva, Netrutva.
“In the past 2,000 years, Christians and Muslims, and most recently the
Communists, conspired to wipe out our memories clean of tens of thousands
of years of Goddess spirituality in the Americas, Africa, Europe, the Middle
East, Central and East Asia, and Australia. I offer this book as a small token of
my overwhelming gratitude to the people of India, who in spite of continual
invasions by hostile cultures seeking to impose their own religions on the
subcontinent, fought to keep the light of inner traditions of the Mother of the
Universe alive.” As said By : Linda Johnsen
http://www.goddessfriends.com shows that America is also thinking on the lines of
reviving the Goddess worship.
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